Brave News World Spring 2005: cover accessories faces fashion food health movies music production shoes sports tech

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Production... The Reality of Reality Shows Opnion by Stanland Bryant Most of us can remember the first time we were exposed to reality television and we all realized at the same time that the truth of the matter is that most Americans donít have any sense at all. From Fear Factor to The Bachelor, most of these shows are based on a premise that would have made television execs a few year ago laugh in the face of the fool who would even try to pitch it. Now, the more poor the show, the higher the ratings. America finally has hit rock bottom when it comes to entertainment. We've given control of our television sets to the likes of Jessica Simpson and her raspy voiced little sister, Ashlee, who sound like she needs either a throat lozenge or a muzzle. I mean nothing concerns me more than Jessica's need for Lasik eye surgery or Ashlee's humdinger of a performance on Saturday Night Live (Full set of instruments, $6000; great looking band, $3000 per gig; making an ass of yourself on live television, priceless). If the most real thing during a half hour program is the commercials, then I don't think that qualifies as a reality show. For the most part these shows are staged and shown from a certain perspective in order to give the audience just what theyíre looking for – which is CRAP. The easiest target for me is this past season. The Bachelor, which only shows the world that American women are so classy that they'll go on television and fight over a man who appears to be dimwitted. Of course, how can anyone expect honesty when there is a camera thrown in there face 24/7, or if a man can pass gas whenever he wants to, how can you expect him to pick a wife? (All kidding aside, I believe the current bachelor might let one rip anyway).

Brave News World is a general-interest magazine produced online by students in the course Online Journalism JRN 410 led by Professor Anthony Curtis, Department of Mass Communications, University of North Carolina at Pembroke. The cover, sections and pages were designed by students in the course and article topics were chosen and reported by the individual students who wrote them. We are eternally grateful to those agencies and institutions that have graciously provided images for this edition. Views expressed by individual writers in this magazine are not endorsed by the professor, the department, the university, or possibly anyone else. Your comments are welcomed by the professor who may be contacted at (910) 521-6616. Or you may e-mail the professor at acurtis@uncp.edu.